Federal leaders tout partnership to aid fire-damaged watersheds

Agreement, part of Climate Action Plan, will protect areas such as High Park fire

By Saja Hindi For the Reporter-Herald

Posted:
07/20/2013 09:35:57 AM MDT

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell talks about the still-charred landscape behind her while speaking to a crowd to announce a new partnership to reduce the risks wildfires pose to water supplies Friday at Horsetooth Reservoir west of Fort Collins.

FORT COLLINS -- Federal, state and local officials came together Friday to sign an agreement they believe will reduce the risk of wildfires to Colorado's water supply. The Western Watershed Enhancement Partnership is part of President Obama's Climate Action Plan.

"Holding the signing here in Colorado highlights the fact that we've established a pilot project called the Colorado-Big Thompson partnership that brings together Northern Water Conservancy District, Colorado State Forest Service, United States Forest Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Western Area Power Administration," said Glenn Casamassa, Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland forest supervisor.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said the president established the Rural Council, which Vilsack chairs, to have all departments of government integrate and coordinate resources better.

"It's no surprise we're dealing with constrained resources, and it's also no surprise that we're continuing to see ever-increasing threats to our natural resources especially with wildfire. And so it is imperative that we work together and collaboratively," Vilsack said. Horsetooth Reservoir alone provides water to 850,000 people in eight counties, according to Vilsack, which makes its health very important.

"The sad reality is when we are faced with ever-increasing fires with the intensity of these fires, it threatens the water supply," he said.

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"It threatens the quality, and it threatens the affordability because if this water has to be treated because of sediment and ash and so forth, it's obviously going to increase the cost."

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said that because all government agencies are struggling, this partnership will help taxpayers' dollars go further.

"Colorado is known for its agriculture; it's known for its mountains; it's known for its forestry, but none of that happens without agencies working together," she said.

The pilot program started in Colorado will be going to six other states as well, Jewell said.

Water quality is a paramount concern, according to Eric Wilkinson, manager of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District.

"Wildfire also affects the water supplies that are vitally important to our agriculture economy in this area," he said.

Vilsack, in a press conference, said one of the issues making the fires more challenging is climate change and is one of the reasons this initiative was part of the president's climate action plan.

"One thing we're doing is we're creating additional research opportunity for us to decide how best to mitigate and adapt to this changing climate," he said. Vilsack said the federal government will be looking at ways to create a market opportunity for wood that's removed.

"Obviously with diseased wood, that limits our capacity. That's one of the reasons the Forest Service has been engaged in creating wood energy opportunities."

Both Vilsack and Jewell stressed the importance of private partnership as well and the importance of flood insurance.

"When we choose to live in these beautiful landscapes around us, we also have to take responsibility to remove the hazardous fuels around our structures because too often, when there is wildfire ... if people would do their part to clear around their places, it has the opportunity to save lives of firefighterss and of community members," Jewell said.

The goals of this partnership, according to Vilsack, are efficiency and effectiveness, partnership and resilience.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack takes questions from a crowd Friday after announcing a new partnership at Horsetooth Reservoir to reduce the risks wildfires pose to water supplies.
(
Timothy Hurst
)